Hearty Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup with Lemon and Dill

Dice the yellow onion, mince the garlic, and slice the carrots into half-moons. Set aside.

Core the cabbage and slice it into thin ribbons, about half a centimeter thick. This will melt into the broth and make the soup hearty.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into rough two-centimeter cubes. They will thicken the soup beautifully.

Heat the olive oil in your largest pot over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, throw in the diced onion and carrots. Cook until the onion goes soft and golden, about five minutes.

Add the minced garlic and paprika, stir it around for thirty seconds until the kitchen smells warm and sweet. Do not burn the garlic.

Push the aromatics to the side and add the ground beef. Break it up with your wooden spoon and let it brown well, mixing it with the onions as it cooks. This browning is flavor.

Add the chicken broth to the pot and stir everything together. Bring it to a gentle boil.

Add the cubed potatoes and half the shredded cabbage. Save the rest—if you put it all in now, the soup becomes a cabbage ocean. Add it in stages.

Season with salt and black pepper. Squeeze half the lemon into the pot. Stir it well.

Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer covered for twenty-five minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender and the cabbage has given its sweetness to the broth.

Taste the broth. Does it need more lemon? More salt? Adjust now—this is your last chance before the herbs go in.

Roughly chop the fresh dill and parsley. Remove the pot from heat and stir them in gently. The residual warmth will bloom their fragrance without cooking the life out of them.

Ladle the soup into big bowls. Add a generous spoonful of yogurt on top of each bowl and give it a little swirl—do not stir it in completely. Let it marble through the broth.

Serve with extra lemon wedges on the side for anyone who wants more sour. Bread is mandatory.